Man City verdict could see four Premier League clubs land compensation worth more than £200m | OneFootball

Successful legal actions against Manchester City, in the event the club is found guilty of Premier League financial rule breaches, could be worth more than £200m to clubs in compensation, according to sources with knowledge of the details.

A number of rivals are planning to pursue legal processes, amid the anticipation that City will be found guilty in almost all of the charges relating to their long-running Premier League case over alleged financial rules breaches. At least four clubs preserved their rights to claim compensation surrounding loss of earnings under Section W of the competitions rules.

Sources tell the Independent that those clubs are Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur. All four have been contacted for comment, with United and Spurs declining to do so. This essentially locked in their “right to sue” before the statute of limitations passed.

While law firms have contacted other clubs who did not preserve rights, there is a belief that would not be possible due to the time passed, but the rules are not specific. Lawyers could make arguments based on the nature of the case, and that it is all one proceeding that started before the statute of limitations expired, but the entire issue is still seen as a grey area.

Numerous clubs have been in discussions with legal firms to see what they are eligible for.

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Man City have reportedly been found guilty of their Premier League charges (Getty)

Under the period covered by the investigation, as an example, Manchester United missed out on the 2011-12 and 2017-18 titles, with the same applying to Liverpool for 2013-14, with City qualifying for the Champions League every season from 2009-10 to 2017-18. However, the claims may not just be limited to those seasons and prospective loss of earnings but also "loss of chance" in subsequent campaigns.

The loss of commercial deals could also be considered.

The significant precedent in this is from Burnley’s claim against Everton in June of this year. An independent commission ruled that the Merseyside club had to pay £35.1m to Burnley after their 2021-22 beach of the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) was found to have given them a sporting advantage. Everton ended up staying up in 16th place on 39 points, with Burnley going down in 18th on 35 points.

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Enzo Maresca replaced Pep Guardiola as manager and signed Enzo Fernandez for £125m this summer with Man City currently top of the Premier League (PA)

Those with knowledge of the processes say that any successful claim would potentially be worth over £200m to some of the claimant clubs. Sources say that Arsenal were the first to preserve their right to claim compensation, with Spurs, Liverpool and United following in.

Any legal action, however, could only happen after the entire case has been concluded and appeals process completed.

City are expected to exhaust every avenue to appeal, on the anticipation the outcome will see them found guilty of most charges. The club’s spokesperson released a statement in response to Friday's news stories, re-asserting their insistence on innocence.

“The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality. As such Manchester City FC’s position remains consistent with the club’s statement of February 2023,” the statement read.

“The club has diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis that the Premier League board and executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair-minded regulator, free from partisan influence.”